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The people of Fontaine had a funny habit of theorising over why it rained after each trial held in the Opera Epiclese. Many rumours spread through the years, each wilder than the last. Each was played off as conspiracy and laughed at over time, then eventually forgotten. However, one seemed to have consistently remained surfaced; the idea that the Iudex of justice himself had something to do with the phenomena.
The Duke of Meropide was on one of his monthly trips to visit The Iudex. He took this time to leisurely walk about the streets of Fontaine, taking in the unfamiliarity of the mostly clean and safe streets. He stopped into the local stores to restock on tea, then went by a flower stand to pick up a beautiful bouquet of pluie lotuses. Finally, he stopped by a magazine rack to pick up the latest copy of the steambird. He skimmed through the contents of the paper as he walked towards the palais mermonia, raising an eyebrow as one of the articles within caught his eye. “Well this will certainly interest him.”
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Neuvillette was finishing up confirmation on some paperwork relating to one of his most recent trials when he heard the sound of his tall office doors opening. He broke from his concentration, and looked up to see Wriothesley enter his office with an armful of bags and a large bouquet in hand. It struck then to Neuvillette that it must have been that time of the week, where the Duke would come to visit from within the depths of Meropide to visit and catch up. It had completely slipped his mind.
Wriothesley walked over as Neuvillette stood up to greet him properly.
“It’s good to see you, Wriothesley.” He said plainly as he crossed the desk to lend a hand with his gifts.
“Someone must have forgotten what time of the month it is. You looked so invested in your work, I almost feel like I'm intruding.” Wriothesley commented cheekily as he handed Neuvillette the bouquet of flowers.
“Do not fret dear Wriothesly, I was due for a break. I apologise for forgetting your scheduled visit.” Neuvillete politely said as he took the flowers from Wriothesley and placed them on his desk. He then walked to a cabinet to grab a vase and a matching set of glasses.
A comfortable silence filled the space between them quickly. Wriothesley reached for a bottle of water from one of his shopping bags, a bottle imported from Monstadt's village of Springvale, and placed it onto the desk as Neuvillette returned. The glasses were swiftly filled and Wriothesley leaned against the Iudexs’ desk casually, watching as Neuvillette arranged the pluis lotuses neatly into the vase he had chosen from the corner of his eye. It was an intricately patterned blue piece which complimented the soft violet flowers well. He was first to break the silence between them.
“Have you read the most recent paper that the Steambird published?” He asked as he looked over the column that had piqued his interest earlier again.
“No, I have not. Have they covered something interesting within recent times?” Neuvillette asked politely.
Wriothesley hummed, “You could say so.” He said before reaching the newspaper out to the Iudex.
He watched as Neuvillette took it and read through its contents. His eyebrows scrunching together subtly as he reached the gossip column titled “Hydro dragon, Hydro dragon: Our Chief of Justice?”. Wriothesley watched as Neuvillette's expression quickly changed into something that could only be described as the purest shock the Iudex has ever produced; His eye brows raised high and his eyes widened by a fraction. An expression like that on Neuvillette, Wriothesley had never seen. He felt a laugh bubbling at the bottom of his throat before he snuffed out the feeling.
“So… Think that theory holds any water?” Wriothesley asked cheekily. They made brief eye contact, Neuvillette looking away in a seemingly embarrassed manner. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Well… It seems rather--” Neuvillette paused as he searched for the right words. Wriothesley could swear he saw a faint blush tint the tip of his ears. “Cute.” He thought.
“-- far-fetched, to say the least.” The Iudex turned his attention back to the Duke next to him.
“Sooo… You’re not the Hydro Dragon?” Wriothesley asked plainly, a seemingly simple question sending Neuvillette into a coughing fit. The Duke's light mood dropped into concern as he reached for the choking Iudex before the other raised a gloved hand to stop him from doing so.
Neuvillette reached for one of the cups on his desk and took a long sip from it, placing it back down with a delicate thud.
“What was that, you okay?” Wriothesley asked, the concern painted across his face melting off as the Iudex nodded.
“Yes, I just seem to have swallowed a wad of spit through the wrong airway.” he managed out. Wriothesley couldn’t fathom how Neuvillette succeeded to say everything in such an elegantly smooth voice. He’d sometimes daydream about the Iudexs’ voice when his work in the Meropide grew boring, often playing back scenarios of him whispering sweet nothings to him during intimate moments. He would later think back on these moments and grow embarrassed, comparing himself to being no better than a teenage girl with a school crush.
“Right then, back to the question at hand. Are you?” Wriothesley asked, he seemed rather intent on getting an answer out of Neuvillette. It left the Iudex feeling rather put on the spot as he met the Duke's unrelenting gaze and answered him with a question of his own.
“Do you think that I am the hydro dragon?”
Wriothesley hummed at this response, his hand rubbing circles against his chin as if mocking deep thought. “Who knows, I mean you could be.” He answers Neuvillette as if he were talking about someone else completely.